¹⁰ “‘I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood,^(A) and I will cut them off from the people. ¹¹ For the life of a creature is in the blood,^(B) and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.^[a](C)

¹⁴ because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”^(A)

¹⁶ But you must not eat the blood;^(A) pour^(B) it out on the ground like water.^(C)

²³ But be sure you do not eat the blood,^(A) because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.^(B)

³³ Then someone said to Saul, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that has blood^(A) in it.”

“You have broken faith,” he said. “Roll a large stone over here at once.”

²⁰ Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols,^(A) from sexual immorality,^(B) from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.^(C)